


Faerie Tale Castle

by subcircus



Series: The Castle Files [3]
Category: Castle, The Dresden Files (TV), The Dresden Files - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-05
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2017-12-25 18:20:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/956231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/subcircus/pseuds/subcircus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first time Rick and Harry met. Castle hires Dresden to solve a family problem.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. an author walks into a bar

**Author's Note:**

  * For [a_lanart](https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_lanart/gifts).



> Dresden Files canon here is my usual blend of TV canon with some aspects of book canon thrown in.   
> Set before both series so no spoilers.

Of course I knew who he was. Magic and technology mix about as well as Coke and a Mento, so put a wizard anywhere near a TV or radio and you end up with a blackened lump of plastic. That leaves very little in the way of entertainment so I read. A lot. And since I barely earn enough to keep a roof over my head and feed myself and my cat, a lot of my books are of the variety of paperback you might find in your local thrift or dime stores.

That’s not to say that Rick Castle’s work is pulp fiction; I really enjoyed the Derrick Storm books, and he’s certainly a better calibre of writer than some authors of the genre. I’m going to stop now before I dig myself any deeper into this hole. 

What I’m trying to say is I recognised him from the photograph on the cover of his book. It wasn't long after the first Derrick Storm book that Castle came to Chicago on a book signing tour. He wasn't as famous back then, so the level of crazy wasn't what it is today, but he was already surrounded by a bevy of gorgeous women, a sight now familiar to anyone who follows the celeb gossip.

My business was still new, I'd hung my shingle just three months earlier. Business was even less brisk than it is now, and I was still top of the Wardens' watchlist having only recently dodged the wrath of the White Council. My head was full of worry, I was not the happy and carefree wizard I am today.

So when Castle blew into McAnally's with a girl on each arm I didn't pay any more attention than to acknowledge his identity. He took up a prominent position at the bar and then announced to the room that the next round was on him. As a penniless wizard with a bar tab longer than the Great Wall of China, that got my attention and I quickly got myself one of Mac's microbrews before the author changed his mind.

I didn't give the man any more thought than to raise my bottle in silent toast, and I had no more interaction with him that night. So imagine my surprise when, the following morning, who should I find at my door than one decidedly hungover author.

"Mr Castle," I said as he entered, manfully covering my surprise with an air of wizardly omniscience.

"Mr Harry Dresden, I presume?" Castle replied. I nodded. "Hey. You were in that bar last night!"

"Very observant of you," I commented as I ushered him inside to the desk that acted as my office.

"I'm an author. It pays to be observant. Something I'd guess is a useful skill for wizard P.I.s too?"

"You could say that. So what can a wizard P.I. do for an author, Mr Castle?" I asked. I waited for him to take the smaller wooden chair on one side of the desk before walking around to my more comfortable swivel chair. Best bit of dumpster diving ever, that chair; few spells and bug sprays to ensure no unwelcome guests and it was a perfectly serviceable seat. Bob, of course, hated it, but it's my chair and my office so he didn't get a say. 

Castle leaned forward in his seat, looking suddenly nervous or at least uncomfortable, so I leaned towards him in my best effort to sympathetically mirror him. He took a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh.

"Please, when you're ready, tell me how I can help, Mr Castle," I gently prompted. He looked up at me and gave me a nervous grin before replying.

"Call me Rick, please. And I hope you can break a curse for me."

*_*

Turned out that Castle came from a long line of mystics, psychics and carnie con artists. No major talents, but a low-level magical ability, some fae blood somewhere in the family tree (his words, not mine). And it was this blood that was causing the problem.

"Family legend tells of a changeling ancestor, born of Winter Court, who defied Mab. He chose his humanity over his Fae side so she had him pegged as her next Winter Knight, but he refused her and cut all ties to the Sidhe. Naturally, Mab was pissed and cursed his bloodline. Any who sided with her were spared, and for some reason the women were immune, but all men of the Rogers family die when they reach forty-two," he explained to me.

My heart sank at the mention of Faerie, and more so when he said Mab's name. I hadn't had much dealings with the Courts in those days, but I had enough problems with my godmother, the Leanansidhe, and I knew that the Winter Queen's power and cruelty made Lea look like an amateur in comparison.

Castle nearly uttered her name a third time, but I shushed him in time.

"Names have power, especially to the Sidhe. Last thing we want is to summon her here," I explained. Castle visibly blanched and nodded.

"So you believe me? Do you think you can help? Is there any way to break this curse? I have a daughter, and I really want to be around to see her grow up," he said.

"I won't lie to you Rick. It won't be easy, if it's even possible," I answered honestly. I could use the payday, but going up against the Fae was insanity, no matter what the per diem.

"I'll pay double your usual going rate, no matter what the outcome," Castle said as if reading my mind. Hell, he could well have been if he possessed any of the family talent.

"It's not about the money, Mr Castle, Rick," I replied. Although it would definitely help; clients had been thin on the ground and I was struggling to make rent. "I'll take your case, I'm just warning you that you might not get the result you want. I'll do everything in my power, but the Unseelie Court is a major force to be reckoned with."

"I understand," he said and pulled out a checkbook before proceeding to write one out to me. "This should cover your first week. Any additional expenses let me know."

I took the check and somehow managed to not stare slack-jawed at the zeros. He'd paid more than double what I charged for a month, let alone a week. I stood up and pocketed the check.

"I'll get started with some research and let you know what I discover. Daily reports or do you just want to know when I've got something?"

"I'd appreciate you keeping me in the loop. Thank you, Mr Dresden," he answered and held out his hand. I shook it firmly.

"It's Harry," I said. For what he was paying, he could call me Shirley if he wanted.

"Thank you, Harry," he repeated with a smile before he let go of my hand then passed me a card with a number I could reach him on and left.

I took the check out again and stared at the number for a bit. I'm not ashamed to say I may have drooled a little. But was it enough zeros to go up against the Queen of Winter?

Oh, who was I trying to kid? I'd be looking into this for free. Something about me and needing windmills to tilt at. I folded the check up and put it back in my pocket before I locked the front door and headed to my lab.

A wizard's laboratory is just that; a place to study and experiment, except instead of chemistry or physics the wizard works with spells and potions. Mine is safely behind a hidden and warded door off the corridor between my office and my living space and contains everything I need to create magic, including the worlds most valuable magical resource (but please don't let him know I said that). Hrothbert of Bainbridge was a powerful necromancer that lived a thousand or so years ago. His soul was thrice cursed to remain on the mortal plane, bound to his remains, for all eternity. I am the current keeper of said remains (by which, I mean his skull) and as such Bob, as I call him, is companion, teacher, advisor and all round pain in my ass.

He was down in the lab, doodling magically in the air.

"Trying to take over the world again, Bob?" I said as I walked through the glowing gold writing that hung in the air, dispersing it.

"Hardly. No, I thought I'd attempt cracking alchemy. The way you're going it's the only way you'll be able to pay the rent."

I looked at the spirit with a raised eyebrow, assessing if he was joking or not. Deciding he was, I continued my previous business.

"Not going to be a problem."

"Don't tell me you've finally seen sense about using your inheritance? Good job too, Harry."

My Uncle Justin had left me everything in his will, the entire Morningway Estate, which was... significant to say the least. But as I had killed Justin, it didn't feel right to use the money. Plus, although the White Council had ruled it self-defence, they were still watching my every move and living like a prince on his money might be considered motive. And if they decided I was guilty after all, well lets just say that unlike regular courts, the White Council could try you twice for the same crime. And Morgan, chief warden and president of the Harry Dresden Haters Club, would be all too happy to execute me for that crime.

So no, I would not be using that inheritance and I did not dignify Bob with a response. I simply pulled out the check and held it in front of him.

"My goodness. What unspeakable thing did you do to get that?"

"Nothing yet. It's a retainer, I replied, stowing the check in my pocket once more. "For taking on the Winter Queen," I added almost under my breath.

"Taking on the Winter Queen? Have you finally lost your mind? You don't challenge the head of the Unseelie Court lightly, Harry," Bob admonished. It was sweet, really.

I explained the situation to him and asked him if his knowledge of the Unseelie Accords or of the Sidhe in general could lead to a way out of the curse, preferably without bloodshed or either me or Castle ending up bound to Winter.

“Sidhe politics are a delicate matter, Harry. It takes finesse, a quality in which you are sadly lacking,” he said pointedly. “But I think... yes, we'll need the third fom the left, top shelf.”

I followed his instructions and located the tome in question, grabbing the book and placing it on the workbench where it landed with a thud, a cloud of dust being expelled in its wake.

“Careful, Harry! That copy of the Accords was mine when I was alive,” Bob admonished but without much feeling. 

“Maybe so, but it’s heavy,” I replied. That’s the kind of witty repartee we exchange on a daily basis. “Don’t tell me you’ve got this thing memorised.”

“Hardly. But if we’re going to find anything, it will be in the Accords. You can skip the first hundred pages; those are to do with neutral territories and how they were set out. The next section defines the circumstances where the White Council may enter the Nevernever and their access to the Ways... hmm, try about halfway,” he instructed, getting that far off and excited look he always gets when we’re trawling through old books of magic and magical lore. Or law in this instance.

I duly opened the book halfway and then thumbed back a few pages to find the title of the section. It was titled “Humans Claimed by Faerie”. He may claim not to have it memorised, but Bob clearly knew the Accords better than he was letting on. Or at least this section of it; I noticed that the book fell open to the section very easily. A question for another time though, right now I needed to focus on the Rogers’ family curse.

Bob began reading the pages, instructing me to page turn for him as necessary. I would have helped in the research in a more constructive way but the book was not only written in Latin, but also was one of those books where all the ‘s’ look like ‘f’. My Latin is about as good as my Welsh so I left the reading to Bob, who kindly translated aloud anything he found of note.

“Hmm...how about...no, that’s only useful in a dispute over goats,” he muttered, making me squint down at the page, trying to translate for myself, although it was no good.

“I thought that the Sidhe aren’t allowed to harm humans who haven’t made some kind of pact with them,” I pointed out. “So how come Mab can kill Rick’s family?”

“Loophole. The Sidhe love loopholes. In this instance, the bloodline allows for the original pact that was broken to be carried through the generations. That’s why she does not kill women; the pact was with a male. And those who side with Winter are fulfilling the pact so she is bound to let them live also,” Bob explained. “It’s very clever. That’s why this will be difficult; Sidhe deals are notoriously intricate.”

We spent a good few hours like that, but nothing quite seemed to fit our needs. It seemed that Mab had made the curse watertight, legally speaking. But then I should have expected no less. The Sidhe cannot tell a direct lie, but they are very adept at telling the truth in ways that make them as misleading as a lie so of course they are experts at finding loopholes and preventing them too.

"Well," Bob said, drawing the word out to express a multitude of emotions in a way that only he can. "There's really only one option left, isn't there?"

I sighed and scrubbed a hand across my tired face.

"I know. But she might decide she wants to keep him. Or worse yet make him the new Winter Knight. How is that any better?"

"At least he'd be alive," Bob replied wryly.

"But without his daughter. Which was the point all along."

"Then we will need to tread very carefully."


	2. Out of the Frying Pan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to reiterate the warning that I am using a blend of TV & book Dresden and as a consequence this chapter heads off in a direction that is AU to the books.

So that was how I found myself standing in the middle of a football field at midnight on a freezing November night. Thank Merlin for my trusty, old, and, at that moment most importantly, warm duster.

“I come in supplication to seek parlay with a representative of the Winter Court of the Sidhe,” I announced to the air. I waited for a moment and when no answer was forthcoming I tried a different approach. “We wish to offer a proposition, one beneficial to the Unseelie Court, and seek counsel with a representative to arrange an official moot.”

The air shimmered, and a Way to the Nevernever opened in front of me. It never ceases to amaze me, the skill with which the Fae can open the Ways. I can open a door, but I have no finesse. The Fae seem to almost melt the space between in such a subtle and beautiful way. But then they are the masters of the Ways so it shouldn’t really be a surprise.

Nobody came through the door, so after a few moments I took it as an invitation. I could see through the door that the Way did not lead to Winter; there was green grass instead of the barren snows, but there was a chill wind as I stepped through so we were obviously near to the border.

I looked about and spotted my godmother a few feet away.

“Hi Lea,” I said with more cheer than I felt. Then, realising that greeting was probably too flippant for the occasion, I bowed low to her. “Well met godmother.”

Lea smiled at that and I internally let out a sigh of relief. The Leanansidhe may have been my Faerie Godmother, but it made her no less dangerous and all fae are notoriously fickle. Their moods can flip on a dime and if it lands the wrong way up you're probably dead. Or worse.

“Well met, godson. You seek parlay with a representative of Winter? Here I am.”

“I am honoured that such a noble Sidhe would come to deliver a message from me to the Queen,” I replied. I was also more than a little worried. I didn’t think Lea was there out of the goodness of her heart. I’d best deliver the message and skedaddle before I got pulled into whatever scheme Lea was hatching. “I represent one who is beholden to the Queen of Winter for his life. He seeks a meeting on neutral territory to seek a mutually beneficial resolution to the terms of his life debt and that of future generations,” I explained, reciting the carefully chosen words Bob and I had drawn up earlier.

“You have a place in mind?” Lea answered, momentarily confusing me; protocol dictated that the Sidhe should choose the place and time in this situation. 

“If it pleases the Unseelie Court, the tavern McAnally’s would be comfortable, private and neutral.”

“It pleases us. The Court’s representative will meet with you and your client at sunset tomorrow at the tavern. We will ensure the place is secure and empty. Weapons will of course be unnecessary,” she said, her smile growing wider. I nodded and smiled in return.

“Of course. Our business is concluded then. I take my leave. Good day Leanansidhe,” I said with another bow. Lea returned it this time, though she only bowed her head a fraction.

“Good day, Harry. Until tomorrow.”

I took several steps backward, not wanting to take my eyes off Lea, but I didn't find the door where it should have been. Lea or another Fae had closed it while I wasn't looking. I swore under my breath at my stupidity.

"Problem, godson?" Lea enquired innocently.

"The door appears closed, but it's fine, thank you godmother," I replied in as pleasant a tone as I could muster.

"If you so desire to remain in the realm of the Sidhe, you know I am happy to oblige," Lea said, her voice suddenly cold as ice. I shivered.

I kind of owe Lea a favour, a favour that she would be happy to have repaid by me joining her entourage. Not so bad, you might think, but she wants me to join her pack of hounds. Yeah. It will come as no great surprise that I’m not thrilled about the idea. Luckily she needs my permission to do so. Kind of. Another pesky loophole.

"That is a most kind offer, godmother, but I am duty bound to my client. I must return to the mortal realm with all speed," I replied politely. Lea sighed in disappointment, but she waved her hand and the doorway reappeared. 

It wasn't her most subtle or intricate trap, it had obviously been thought up on the fly if that was all it took to outwit her. Or she wasn't really trying. I hesitated at the door.

"Are you quite well, Lea?"

She let out a peal of laughter that was as melodious as a bell. Cliché, I know, but the Fae are really like that.

"I am indeed, thank you for your concern though, Harry. We will see you at the moot." 

With that I gave her another bow and stepped through to Chicago.

I headed straight home and when I arrived, Castle was standing outside, waiting for me. I'd asked him to come over so I could update him but I hadn't expected him until the morning. I unlocked the door, lowered the warding spells I have set up to protect the place when I'm not there and then I invited him in.

As I ushered him in, Bob showed an epic lack of timing as he walked through the wall that separated my living space from my lab.

"Harry, I think... Oh. I'm sorry, Harry," he stuttered and then fell silent. Castle pointed at him and looked at me, a look of surprised confusion on his face.

"Did he just walk through that wall?"

"Uh, yeah. Bob's.. I guess you could call him an associate of mine. And he's a ghost," I explained, knowing that the truth was the simplest and safest explanation. I think, if I'm honest, I was just too tired to come up with a decent lie.

"A ghost?!"

"Fae you have no trouble believing in, but you doubt the existence of ghosts?" Bob drawled. He had a point, and Castle must have also realised that as he dropped his hand and shrugged.

"Okay, ghosts are real. Good to know. So, Harry, what have you got for me?"

*_*

The next day brought another chilly morning in Chicago. Actually, chilly would be a step up; people were walking as fast as they could through the snow in case they froze in place or an icicle should grow from their nose like in a cartoon. It was a perfect day for a meeting with the Winter Queen's representative; in fact I wouldn't be surprised to find out this recent plummet in temperature was her doing.

Castle met me at my office and we made our way to McAnally's at the appointed time for the meeting with the representatives of the Unseelie Court, carefully trudging through the snowdrifts the ploughs had cast onto the sidewalks. Castle didn't say much on the walk over, but I didn't blame him, the fate of his entire bloodline possibly rested on this conversation. So, no pressure, Harry.

It was definitely a sudden blast of cold air that made me shudder as I entered McAnally's. In no way was it the fact that as I stepped down into the darkened bar I spotted that Mab herself was waiting for us. No, it wasn't that at all.

I hadn't anticipated that she would come in person. I couldn't imagine what made Castle special enough to warrant the presence of the Winter Queen. No matter the reason, it did not bode well. Seated to one side was Lea and on the other was stood an imposing and surly looking human in Faerie clothing; the current Winter Knight, I surmised. That didn't exactly help my feeling of unease.

We approached the table carefully, pausing a few feet away to bow low and then we waited for Mab to acknowledge us. After a few moments she inclined her head.

"Her most gracious majesty, Queen Mab of the Unseelie Court, recognises and welcomes you both," Lea said. "Be seated and be welcome."

"With the permission of your noble majesty most high, I, Wizard Dresden of the White Council, will speak on behalf of the supplicant."

"The court recognises Wizard Dresden and the authority of the council under the Accords. But we ask for the supplicant's full name," Lea said. "From his own lips."

Damn. 

As I already mentioned, names have power and when a being with magic hears a person's full name from their own lips, it gives them a significant power over that person. If Castle were to do this, there would be no turning back. But if we said no at this point, the meeting would be over before it had begun. 

I thought quickly for a way around the request without insulting the queen. I played the words over in my mind and, amazingly, inspiration struck. I pulled a pencil from my pocket and wrote on a napkin that I then passed to Castle.

He read it, folded it in half, then leaned in and whispered in my ear. 

“Richard Edgar Alexander Rogers Castle,” I recited as he whispered it to me. Lea smiled, seemingly pleased at my cleverness, but Mab was less amused. The temperature in the room dropped by a few degrees and ice crystals started to form on the inside of the window.

“That is not his given name, it is his writer name. We cannot deal with people that tell us falsehoods,” Lea said.

“It is not a falsehood. You asked for his full name and it was given from his own lips. It is not the name he was born to, but it is the name he has chosen for himself and therefore it is surely his true name,” I extemporised, hoping that Mab would accept the truth of it.

There was a moment of tension as Mab gave consideration to this, until she finally nodded. 

“Very well. We will proceed. You asked to parlay, you said that it would be to discuss a mutually beneficial arrangement. What do you seek, and what do you offer in trade?” asked Lea. She was obviously fulfilling the same role for Mab as I was for Rick.

“My client approaches the age that means, under the curse laid on his bloodline by the most fair and just Queen Mab, that he will meet a certain and untimely end,” I began.

“That is remedied easily, he must simply pledge his fealty to the Winter Court.”

“He understands this, but he hopes that after all these generations the magnanimous and noble queen might have cause to end the curse, not just on him but on his future bloodline. He hoped that there was some way you might come to terms,” I finished.

Mab straightened up in her seat, her face like thunder. The glamour she showed the world, of a beautiful but haughty woman, shifted slightly, the cheekbones becoming more pronounced, the eyes darker. All in all, it made her appear even more dangerous, and I was left with the impression of a coiled serpent, waiting to strike.

“You know why my queen placed the curse on the bloodline?” Lea asked.

“He knows that one of his ancestors was a halfling and that when it came time, he chose his human side, turning his back on Winter,” I answered.

Apparently, this was the wrong thing to say. The room temperature dropped again, and this time Mab spoke for herself, her voice as cold and thunderous as her face.

"Your ancestor did not just turn his back on the Winter Court, Richard Castle. He committed a most vile betrayal of my gracious majesty. He who was of high Sidhe blood, who should have been my trusted right hand. He...I cannot bear to say it, even now. You explain," Mab instructed, her glamour briefly wavering in disgust. 

"He fell in love with one allied to Summer. He did not choose humanity over the Sidhe, he simply chose his human side so he could be free to join the Summer Court," Lea finished.

"Your entire bloodline is an abomination that could forever destroy the balance," Mab snapped, in an uncharacteristic show of emotion. "That is why what you request is no trivial matter."

"But that was centuries ago. Surely my blood has been diluted enough by humanity that it no longer matters?" Rick asked before I could stop him.

Mab looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Mayhap you have a point, writer Castle. But still, to end a curse I placed for all time... Perhaps if you were to complete a task for me... Yes, I think I know of exactly the right quest. It would be dangerous," she said eventually.

"If it pleases the court, I will act as his protector if he chooses to undertake this quest," I replied. There I go, tilting at windmills again; will I never learn?

Mab laughed in delight and the temperature dropped another few degrees.

"It pleases us, Wizard Dresden. But even with a man of your talents it will be an arduous quest. I shall offer you a boon. Strength and power to complete your task. Do you accept this gift, writer?"

"And upon successful completion, both Richard Castle and I are free to return to our normal lives in the mortal realm, which we will live for the rest of our natural lifespan, and all obligation and fealty the Rogers bloodline owes to the Unseelie Court will be considered paid in full?" It was a mouthful, but necessary and I had rehearsed the exact words carefully with Bob - we couldn't leave Mab even the tiniest loophole to exploit.

"By my honour, we will end the curse and release Mr Castle and his blood line from any obligation to me or the Court. You, he and all his descendents will live out your full natural lifespan and will owe no fealty to either Faerie Court based on any action taken up until today."

"Up until the day the quest is fulfilled," I corrected, sensing a trap. 

Mab sighed.

"Very well, the day the quest is fulfilled. You have my word. From that day hence you're on your own.Now, answer me, do you accept?"

"May I know the quest before I agree?" Rick asked.

"No."

"May I know any details?"

"You may ask three questions, to which I will only answer yes or no," Mab replied with a smile. It was the kind of smile that sharks are jealous of.

Castle looked to me for guidance and I started to write suggestions on another napkin, but Lea reached across the table and took it from me, wagging a finger at me in admonition. I shrugged at Castle, who thought for a moment and then said,

"Will either of us have to kill any human being during this quest?"

"No."

"Is it statistically likely that we will succeed in this quest?"

"Yes" the smile grew wider. Clearly Mab was enjoying this particular game.

"May I seek assistance from any living soul other than Wizard Dresden?" Castle asked finally. Clever boy, you can tell he's a wordsmith. Bob isn't a living soul.

"No. That is your three. If you complete this task you have my solemn oath that I shall free you and your bloodline forever more. You will live to be a grandfather. What say you?"

Rick looked at me and I nodded. The quest was likely to kill one or both of us, but if there was the slightest chance of success then we had to try.

"I agree to the terms, your majesty," he said.

"Excellent. Then that concludes our business," Mab said and rose to leave. "Oh, how foolish, I nearly forgot your instructions and your boon. Eric."

The surly looking human, who had been stood a silent sentinel until now, stepped forward, produced a scroll and a sword and presented them to Mab. A sword wasn't the greatest gift she could give, but it wasn't the worst either, and with a bit of luck it would be magical.

Mab placed the scroll on the table, then drew the sword from its sheath. I don't know what it was made from, certainly not steel, but it glittered and shone, even in the gloom of Mac's bar. 

Almost faster than the eye, Mab spun around and drove the blade into poor old Eric. Castle gasped and stiffened, but to his credit he didn't move.

"A knight's errand should be undertaken by a knight," she said as she turned back to us. "Kneel before me Richard Castle."

Castle looked rightly nervous but he did as instructed. I was suddenly very glad I made Mab amend the wording of the deal. She was making him the Winter Knight. All my carefully worded entreaties and she still tricked Rick into agreeing to take on the mantle. I was kicking myself for being such an idiot, but at least it would only be for the duration of the quest. Mab had agreed to release Castle from all obligation and fealty, which would include the Mantle of the Winter Knight.

Throughout this exchange with Mab, Lea had been sitting still, unusually quiet. I looked in her direction and realised she was seething. At first I thought she was somehow upset by the Knight's death, but then Mab's words struck home.

_You, he and all his descendents will live out your full natural lifespan and will owe no fealty to either Faerie Court based on any action taken up until today._

If we succeeded in this quest, Mab would be releasing me from the debt I owed Lea. No wonder she was furious. 

Mab lay the sword, still covered in the blood of the previous Knight, on Castle’s shoulder then passed it over his head and rested it on his other shoulder. There was a feeling of static, as raw power gathered and passed from Eric, through Mab to Rick.

“Arise sir knight. Take this sword and my blessings. May you succeed in your quest or die a most noble death in the effort.”

I’m sure she meant it to be a noble and stirring speech, but frankly it just gave me the creeps. 

Castle stood and bowed his head as Mab sheathed the sword and passed it to him. She then gave a curt nod in my direction before she walked toward the door. Lea stood, glared in my direction and then leaned over to murmur to me.

“Be careful, godson. My queen is always playing larger games than anyone realises.”

With that, she was cold and implacable again, as though she’d said nothing, and she followed her queen to the door. I watched them go to the street and Lea open a door to the Nevernever before they both disappeared through it.

I turned to Rick, who was still standing in the same spot, staring in some confusion at the sword in his hands. 

“What was that?” he asked, I think mostly to himself. 

I grabbed the scroll that Mab had left behind and stood up before I answered.

“Trouble."


End file.
